The launch of GTA 6 is just around the corner, but with an $80 price tag, some gamers may be on the lookout for a more affordable alternative. Luckily, the single-player action-adventure game, Samson, offers a similar style of gameplay at a fraction of the price, and today is its official console release.
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The wait is almost over, unless you play on PC.
Developed by the small, self-published team, Liquid Swords, Samson was originally released for PC in April, but received mixed reviews due to performance issues and just an overall feeling of what gamers refer to as ‘jankiness’. Samson has received several major updates to fix the most pressing problems and refine many aspects of the game, and is currently on sale for 50% off.
Samson Launches on Consoles with Long List of Improvements
There’s a very common thread amongst all of Samson’s official reviews which began circulating nearly half a year ago: the game has an intriguing premise and great potential, but definitely needed more time in development before being released.
While Samson doesn’t have a massive team of developers behind it, or an astronomical budget compared with the likes of GTA 6, it’s easy to see this small team has the heart it takes to keep pushing and making improvements to a game many reviewers say has great bones.
Samson has received several major updates to fix the most pressing problems and refine many aspects of the game, and is currently on sale for 50% off.
Samson: A Tyndalston story is now available on PC, XBOX, PS5, and Steam Deck, and has received yet another massive update to make the overall experience more enjoyable.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the most notable improvements from the latest update:
- Playable tutorial prologue & onboarding: New step-by-step combat tutorial and other tutorial improvements.
- Vehicle combat messaging: Visualizations added to show enemy vehicle weak spots.
- Swappable player jackets: Unlock five additional jackets; four will be unlocked as you progress through the game.
- Loot drop placement tweaks: Reduced the risk of loot becoming stuck in walls or the environment.
- Mission fixes: Unholy Trinity, Bad for Business, and No Return Fare missions have all received fixes for prominent issues.
- Multiple Vehicle XP and repair tweaks
- Long list of quality of life improvements
This game has a lot of great attributes that warrant a revisit, especially after all the updates from this small team. According to Samson’s Steam page, “Your debt grows by the hour, and the people holding it squeeze harder every day. Every job, every dollar, every choice cuts a path forward or shuts it down. No do-overs. No safety net.”
The game revolves around the protagonist, Samson, as he attempts to pay off his debts, which he owes to some very dangerous people. These people are applying pressure using Samson’s sister, whose life hangs in the balance if you fail to scrape together enough money to cover the debts.
Players will have a daily quota to meet, and if you fail, the interest on your debt will rise. There’s a strong focus on vehicle gameplay as you race through the open-world city of Tyndalston, evade the authorities, destroy your enemies, and do whatever it takes to save your sister’s life.
Samson also has a skill tree with over 25 upgrades you’ll unlock as you progress through the game, creating a strong sense of character development.
Samson: A Tyndalston Story Deserves Another Try
While it may be GTA-esque in some regards, Samson is different in many ways, as gamers utilize their brawling and driving skills rather than guns, and as the overall experience has become a lot smoother thanks to community-inspired updates, it may have earned another look.
Early console performance reviews suggest Samson is performing pretty well on XBOX Series X and S, as well as PlayStation 5, but you may encounter an occasional drop in FPS.
Overall, things are looking good for console players, and coming from a small self-published team, it’s impressive to see how far Samson has come.
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